Manchester United are set to use Nouser Mazraoui for this Sunday’s big game against Aston Villa, but Lisandro Martinez will remain sidelined.
Nousser Mazraoui appears to have overcome his injury problems and is expected to be available on Sunday (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United may be set to bring Nousair Mazraoui back for the final game against Aston Villa, which could have a huge impact on Champions League qualification.
Mazraoui was forced off in the final stages of the defeat to Newcastle and it was now a race against time to see if he would be fit in time to face the Midlands outfit at Old Trafford. He is now back in training and looks to be available for Michael Carrick.
The match at St James’s Park was the first defeat of Carrick’s time and marked the Moroccan’s first start for the Red Devils since returning from AFCON. He reached the final as a regular on his country’s national team, but ultimately lost to Senegal in controversial circumstances.
The former Bayern Munich man has made a forced return and will be one of the players in contention to play on the right side of defence.
This is a welcome boost for Carrick. Carrick suffered a setback in practice and will be without Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine has missed the last three Premier League games with a calf injury and is unlikely to feature against Villa as the club take precautions.
read more: Sir Jim Ratcliffe has just two years to go before signing a £300m-plus deal with Manchester Unitedread more: Manchester United and Tottenham’s management goal confirmed: ‘contract offer within weeks’
The centre-back partnered Harry Maguire for the first five games of Carrick’s return to England, but the World Cup winner has been out for 10 months with a cruciate ligament injury and medical staff are keen to tread carefully after the Daily Mail reported he suffered a “mild reaction”.
Lenny Yolo replaced Martinez in the squad for those games, but the young Frenchman is expected to retain his place for Sunday’s home game against Villa, especially in the absence of a particularly fit centre-half. Matthijs de Ligt is also injured and youngster Aiden Haven is likely to be on the bench on Sunday.
Lisandro Martinez likely to miss out due to injury problem (Image: PA)
United lost the match 2-1 when the teams played at Villa Park earlier this season, but the fortunes of both teams have changed markedly since then. The Red Devils currently sit third in the table, ahead of Unai Emery’s side on goal difference.
Villa were talked about as outsiders to win the title in December, but their form has declined since the start of the year. They now face a real possibility of slipping out of the top five and missing out on Champions League qualification. Chelsea recently achieved a 4-1 victory under Emery with three wins from 11 games.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Free William Hill shop bets in the mirror every day in Cheltenham
Don’t miss out on our free shop bets published in your favorite horse racing newspaper every day during the Cheltenham Festival! Plus, every day from Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March 2026, you’ll get expert knowledge from top tipsters with drawers covering runners, riders and everything you need to rock the biggest ever Cheltenham Festival. Click here for more information.
Please only bet if you are over 18 years old. Terms and conditions apply. See the paper for details.
